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Healthcare clinic software linking and the lyme "X" now on your back

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Posted 4/15/2018 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
This is getting more common. Before it was a few group clinics or hospitals, now it seems they are almost all linked, and with your pharmacy records too.

So what does this mean? Any regular Dr can now see these mysterious appointments and long ABX rx's and has the right to not see you as a new or past existing patient. If they see this at check in, they will ask.

This happened to me. A regular GP from the past directly told me this was our last appoint as she will no longer take the risk of seeing people previously treated for lyme disease. In fear of "us" putting a "X" on her back which insurance will not like.

I think it was for safety- the pharmacy part, but is turning on us.
Posted 4/15/2018 12:44 AM (GMT 0)
That’s strange that the Doc won’t see you bcuz of past abx treatment.
If she didn’t prescribe them - then how would she get the X on her back?

So far we don’t have that linking yet - the docs can only see patients records that are in that practice (which may have several Drs though)

I’m sure it’s coming though.

My dr so far isn’t worried - still supporting me through this - and she said “Good idea” when I told her I was planning to go to the J clinic in DC.
She is rare.
Posted 4/15/2018 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
Well the US conventional healthcare, as a whole, is pretty much against non-standard ideas and is big pharma / insurance driven. Its their black hole. Insurance drops / blackmails Drs who don't agree to their way.
Posted 4/15/2018 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
Go to a journalist, they'd love a story like this.
Posted 4/15/2018 1:57 AM (GMT 0)
Such extensive linking really isnt the norm, its probably 5-10 years out before everyone is fully linked. The EHR compatibility just isn't there yet. There are still many providers who have yet to switch fully over to an EHR. Are you sure that is how your GP knows what treatment you have done?
Posted 4/15/2018 1:58 AM (GMT 0)

acarined said...
Go to a journalist, they'd love a story like this.

This has happens to others, we just dont see it here.

This was my integrative GP, so I was shocked. My past regular GP is a stubborn idiot and is of very little use to my health concerns - even he asked that I go back to my LLMD for non-lyme stuff. I know better than to talk lyme with these people, but they wont let it go. They are afraid of insurance. Afraid!!

My local paper refused to write a lyme info piece a few years ago. That editor is now gone and the new one recently wrote about a friend with lyme while keeping her anonymous.
Posted 4/15/2018 2:07 AM (GMT 0)

countingstarsx said...
Such extensive linking really isnt the norm, its probably 5-10 years out before everyone is fully linked. The EHR compatibility just isn't there yet. There are still many providers who have yet to switch fully over to an EHR. Are you sure that is how your GP knows what treatment you have done?

This is the coldest high tech northern liberal state there is. Not hard to guess. And very medically known. Very. We are linked, it IS the norm here now I think.

My LLMD is out in the sticks but both GP Drs showed me my info (med rap sheet) on their personal clinic laptop. It might be linked though insurance too, I dont know about that. Might even be a state (health / safety) law or something.

Post Edited (astroman) : 4/14/2018 8:30:59 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/15/2018 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
Having almost completed my degree in Health Information Management/Technology (less than one month to go!) I can tell you its definitely not the norm across the country. The technology isn't that advanced yet. No one wants to pay for the health information exchanges that it would require to transmit information from one system to another since they are not all compatible with each other.

I think we are in the same state (MN), and I know for sure that our state isn't linked. Insurance claims are not accessible except by those who made the claim, and the insured party. There are no state laws on required information sharing.

Post Edited (countingstarsx) : 4/14/2018 9:13:30 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/15/2018 3:12 AM (GMT 0)
Pharmacy records are about the only thing that is mostly linked, especially from pharmacy to pharmacy. That was priority in order to stop those who doctor shop to get prescriptions, but even that system has major flaws still. I don't think that doctors can readily access your prescription information from outside of their health system.
Posted 4/15/2018 3:25 AM (GMT 0)

countingstarsx said...
Having almost completed my degree in Health Information Management/Technology (less than one month to go!) I can tell you its definitely not the norm across the country. The technology isn't that advanced yet. No one wants to pay for the health information exchanges that it would require to transmit information from one system to another since they are not all compatible with each other.

I think we are in the same state (MN), and I know for sure that our state isn't linked. Insurance claims are not accessible except by those who made the claim, and the insured party. There are no state laws on required information sharing.

With that degree, you should be pretty much assured of always being employed, even as everything else crumbles around us. In January, I left my job in Healthcare IT, after 10+ years. Also, some years ago, I worked a couple of years at a different healthcare company, as a field engineer. I'm not sure what my next job will be, but I plan to stay far from healthcare, if at all possible. Good luck to you and I send you early Congratulations on completing what must surely be a demanding degree.
Posted 4/15/2018 3:35 AM (GMT 0)

The Dude Abides said...
]

With that degree, you should be pretty much assured of always being employed, even as everything else crumbles around us. In January, I left my job in Healthcare IT, after 10+ years. Also, some years ago, I worked a couple of years at a different healthcare company, as a field engineer. I'm not sure what my next job will be, but I plan to stay far from healthcare, if at all possible. Good luck to you and I send you early Congratulations on completing what must surely be a demanding degree.

Thanks Dude! I'm happy that a job will always be available, but am already regretting going for such a sedentary career. I hurt more when I sit too much, and all the screen time is wearing on my eyes.
Posted 4/15/2018 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
Well, somehow they linked it and showed me on the screen, since I did not give this info up nor did I want to mention it. I was surprised. These regional clinics do have some system that links them with the nearest hospital and Rx history with the pharmacies. Not all of them though, so its some type of network. My endo doesn't see any of this info that I know of.

This happened two years ago also with a new neurologist at a new clinic, right on a patient room PC. So this nuero asked and then gave me the "chronic lyme does not exist speech". I left.

When I start out with a new Dr, I dont mention past lyme till I think its OK....or not.

Post Edited (astroman) : 4/14/2018 10:55:48 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/15/2018 1:04 PM (GMT 0)
Interesting. It would make sense for regional clinics that are under the same health care system to share information with each other, and usually clinics share information with the hospital that they refer to.

There are active health information exchanges, so its possible your area is more connected than most. I didn't think that doctors would react that way to the information!

I just wanted to point out this level of connection definitely isn't the norm at this point, but is something for all of us to think about in the future.

Most LLMD's will have a stand alone EHR system that isn't connected to everyone else -- at most I see pharmacy records being shared. But who is another doctor to judge whether or not to take a patient based upon prior antibiotic use? Sure if someone was seeking drugs...but antibiotics?
Posted 4/15/2018 3:33 PM (GMT 0)
Good that this is not the norm yet then. One ortho/PT Dr (linked in network with the hospital) at least had a positive response and actually said "Drs po-poing lyme dont know what their talking about".

My overall experience with the other negative or "scared of lyme patient" Drs is dumbfounding considering how prevalent lyme is here.
Posted 4/15/2018 6:22 PM (GMT 0)
I was wondering about this too, i noticed on my profile in my health network "lyme disease" is now listed as diagnosis. was curious if I would be black balled because of this.

so far from my various specialist appointments for all the problems that lyme/coinfections caused, they all largely ignore it, or pretend the issues are incidental findings or isolated issues and just continue to treat the issues in their specialty.
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